Mr P.'s Balinese Chicken

Hubby has long been the official rice and pasta maker in the Pickings' household.  His repertoire also includes curries and stir-fries, along with Spanish eggs for breakfast, and cheese toasties stuffed with ham for dinner.  And let's not forget his take on a Charmaine Solomon dish called Balinese Beef Strips.  If you don't know of her, she is a well-known and loved Aussie chef of Sri Lankan extraction.  

Mr P. makes this dish with chicken, and let me tell you, it is a triumph.  He has adapted Charmaine's recipe over time to suit our tastes. And we find it delectable!  (The capsicum was all his idea). You had better like capsicum (red peppers) and tamarind folks, otherwise it may not please your palate. Our copy of The Complete Asian Cookbook is old and tattered and stained, and falling apart.  I think every cookbook in your kitchen should be like that, don't you?

This recipe will feed 6, or 4 with leftovers for the next day

Ingredients:

2-3 tbs olive oil or peanut oil
3 onions, diced
3 small red chillies, finely diced (or throw into the processor)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander, including stalks, finely chopped
8 cms of fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 large red capsicums (peppers), thinly sliced
1.25 kg diced chicken breast
3 tbs ground coriander
1 tbs ground cummin seeds
3-4 tbs dark soy sauce
1 x 400 mls can of coconut milk
1 x 200 mls can of coconut cream
200 mls water
2 heaped tsp tamarind paste
one portion (85g.) of instant noodles for each person - or use rice or whatever sort of noodle you like
Yoghurt and chutney to serve


Method:

Pour the oil into a large wok or frypan on a medium heat
Tip in the onion and stir while it starts to get soft and translucent
Blitz the chillies, garlic, fresh coriander and ginger in a food processor  (or finely chop them all)
Spoon in the chilli, gingery mix to the onion 
Keep stirring while it softens
Add the sliced capsicums and stir some more
In goes the chicken, and stir!
Add the coriander and cummin and stir them in well
Keep an eye on it, and stir regularly
When the chicken is looking opaque and nearly cooked, add the soy sauce, coconut milk, coconut cream and water
Stir in the tamarind paste
Check for seasoning and add more soy sauce or tamarind if needed
Let it simmer on a very low heat for at least an hour; 2 is better!
When ready to serve, boil the noodles as per the packet
Serve with yoghurt and chutney

these look so luscious it's sinful:=)

stirring the onions in the oil  

blitz your aromates 

slice the capsicums 

stir in the chicken   

add the sliced capsicum  

pour in the coconut milk, cream and water 

serve with yoghurt and chutney 

a happy customer:=) 

and another one!

Mr P. suggests I advise that rice just doesn't give the same mouth feel and delicious slippy texture to the dish.  There is something about the instant wheat noodles which goes superbly with the chicken.  So have rice if you must, but you have been warned:=)

(And thanks to Lord N. and Lady J. for being our charming guests, and allowing their shining faces to add a food-happy glow to this post).